HISTORY OF VERMONT. 4SS 



"fectual defence ; in compleating the roads which 

 had been opened during the summer ; and plan- 

 ning another from Ticonderoga to Number Four 

 or Charlesiown on Connecticut river ; his ob* 

 j ct was. efiectually to secure the advantages 

 v/hich he had ah'eady obtained ; and to put his 

 troops i;:: a situation, favorable to the compleat 

 success of another campaign.* 



The expedition to Niagara, had been put 

 under the command of general Prideaux. This 

 officer, with the troops assigned for the expedi- 

 tion, reii^forced by the Indian auxiliaries under 

 Sir William Johnson, advanced to Niagara with- 

 out" being molested by the enemy ; and invested 

 the fort, about the middle of July. The ap- 

 proaches were carried on with much vigor till 

 the twentieth of that month, v/hen Prideaux^ 

 Vi53iting the trenches, was unfortunately killed 

 by the bursting of a cohorn. The co'mmand of 

 'the army devolving on Sir William Johnson, 

 he pursued the same vigorous measures, and e- 

 rected his third battery within one hundred 

 yards of the flag. V/hile the English were 

 thus pushing the siege with the greatest vigor, 

 the enem.y were making preparations to relieve 

 the place ; and had assembled a body of troops 

 from Venangs, Detroit, Presquc-Isle, h other set- 

 tlementsin thai;Guarter,amounLino:to tv/elve hun- 

 di cd men. These, with a body of Indians un- 

 der the command of M. d'Anbr)'", were march- 

 ing to reinforce the garrison at Niagara. John- 

 SG'A was informed by his Indians that this body 

 tvas on their march, and he instantly resolved to 



* SiBftUst's Hist. England, Vol. 3, p. 47r* 



